Family's Wrath (Incomplete)
by When-The-Cicadas-Die
Summary: [An original story.] When the Andersons take on a new helping hand, the man in charge realises he's bitten off more than he can chew. Follow their story, from the past to the present. Watch romance blossom, betrayals in action, and much more. There's never a dull moment in this family. [I suck at summaries]
1. Prologue

_**Okay, I'm going to be perfectly honest. I had no idea Fanfiction had an OC category for original stories. If I knew, I would have uploaded my work here straight away, rather than messing around with Google Docs. So, I'm breaking away from Vocaloid stories and all that, to work on a full original novel. I don't plan on getting this published, but I figured I could get some feedback while I'm at it. I hope everyone enjoys! Since this is an original novel, I urge you to leave a review with constructive criticism. Thank you!**_

…

 **Family's Wrath**

 **Prologue – Calm Before the Storm**

Darkness envelops the vast forest, like a thick blanket. There is not a single sound made by man to be heard. With the bright stars twinkling high above, and the moonlight shining through the trees, the night has been claimed by nature as always. Not much can be seen from an outside glance, but there are many things of nature to be heard. A cool night breeze rustles the golden leaves on the trees. A chorus of crickets and other insects fill the lower ground, while the birds tweet in harmony above the trees. Nothing could possibly ruin such a beautiful night.

However, soon, footsteps begin to fill the area, chasing away any animals that are trying to collect food in preparation for winter. A few birds' wings can be heard flapping frantically as they move away from the humans. A group of four men have gathered under the cover of darkness, protected by the distance between the forest and the city, and they hope to come to an agreement. In the distance, faint owl cries can be heard, as the men proceed to talk.

A young man, around the age of 18, stands beside an older man; the two other men stand opposite them. Clearly, they have come in pairs, and they appear to be rivals with each other. The older man seems to be the leader between him and the teenager, naturally. He is the first to speak up, his tone coming out deep and rather serious. "I assume you both know why we arranged this little get together."

The teenager beside his boss remains silent, his arms folded over his chest as he observes the two rivals. He will only speak when spoken to, and will only act when given permission. Despite being so young, he somehow managed to get himself dragged into this messy business. His own expression appears to be hardened, showing that he's no stranger to such business. He's been in this game a while. One may mistake this teenager to be the son of the older man, but their facial features aren't similar enough. Along with this, the older man has light blonde hair, whereas the teen has dark brown hair.

One of the two rivals promptly answer – he seems to be the boss of the other man, and looks to be around the same age as the blonde man opposite him. "Yeah, 'course we do. It's because this whole payment deal is bullshit."

The teenager grits his teeth together at the man's words, growing frustrated already. He remains silent, however.

"I'm sorry… Bullshit?" the blonde man repeats, sounding almost shocked. Yet there's a hint of disgust in his voice. "I helped pay off some of your debts. I lent you my hard-earned money because I'm a kind man. But I don't like it when you aren't gracious enough to return the money to me on time."

"You never said anything about having to return it!" the other man remarks. He brushes some of his black hair from his eyes, growing just as irritated as the teen.

"Things change. I need it back now," the blonde simply says, remaining calm in the heat of the moment.

"Yeah, well good luck with that. I don't have it."

Taking in a deep breath, and slowly exhaling, the blonde man turns his glance to the teen at his side. "I don't have time for this. You know what to do, kid."

Finally receiving orders, a sort of smirk pulls at the teenager's lips. Not wasting a single second, he reaches his hand into a pocket, and swiftly retrieves a pistol. He holds it up, aiming as steadily as possible right between the black-haired man's eyes. "You heard the boss. You either pay up now, or we'll paint the trees with your brains." Seems as though someone is enjoying this messy business _far_ too much.

The man seems visibly shaken now, as he raises his hands in an act of surrender. His partner in crime doesn't look so happy either.

"Oh, did someone forget to bring weapons to this little meeting?" The blonde speaks in a mocking manner. "Incompetence is very risky in this business, gentlemen."

"Look, just- Just put the gun down, okay? If you give me a week or so to gather some money…"

As the black-haired man tries his best to beg, the blonde sends a discreet nod to his teen partner. The moment the teenager receives this subtle cue, he wastes no time in acting out.

A sudden single gunshot rings out through the forest. A split second later, a loud thud caused by dead weight can be heard. Any remaining birds in the surrounding area are quick to flee, startled by the echo of the gunshot. The once peaceful night has now become the scene of a murder. The wind begins to pick up now, sending an even icier blast through the trees.

With the end of the pistol still smoking, the teen slowly lowers the weapon to his side, his eyes now fixed on the rival boss's partner. The teen had landed a clean shot to the man's head; the bullet went straight through, and he immediately died upon impact. His now lifeless body lies on the cold, hard mud path, blood almost delicately trickling out and staining the once pure grounds.

The rival boss's partner lets out a frightened yelp, staring down at the deceased man with nothing but fear in his wide eyes. He starts to tremble violently on the ground beneath him, his breathing growing shaky as he darts his glance between the blonde and the teenager. His only reaction to this, after staring at the two men, is to turn around and run. Bolt out of the area as fast as he can. As he swiftly spins on his heels, he only makes it a few paces away before the teenager lodges several bullets into his spine.

"Good riddance," the blonde man simply says, scoffing and turning his head away from the dead bodies. "I couldn't allow them to keep bullshitting me."

"Absolutely, Mr Anderson," the teenager responds, nodding in agreement with his boss. He holds the gun out to the man, to give it back to him. After all, the teenager couldn't be trusted just yet with his own weapons. Despite this, in the boss's eyes, the teenager is doing well. He showed no remorse, and more importantly, no hesitation when it came to shooting down two traitors. A dangerous couple of traits indeed.

"You've done very well tonight, Eric," the blonde says, addressing the teenager. The so-called 'Mr Anderson' now speaks openly to his young partner, taking the gun from the teen's hand and sliding it into a pocket. After this, he places a hand on the male's shoulder, seeming to be genuinely proud of his actions. "You showed just how loyal you are to me – to my whole family. You truly are like the son I never had."

"You don't think that kid of yours will be into this stuff?" The male, Eric, now raises an eyebrow in curiosity. He knows of his boss's children, but not a whole lot about them. His voice comes out as naturally deep, almost naturally intimidating.

The Anderson boss slowly shakes his head, before sighing heavily with disappointment. "No, no. I'm afraid not. I keep trying, though. Don't want to give up on the kid while he's still young."

"Of course," the teen nods, agreeing once more.

"Anyway. Let us discuss such matters when we're away from this forest. But before we go, let's check these goons' bodies, see if they had anything valuable on them."

Silence falls in the forest once more. The only sounds that can be heard now is the footsteps from the two men, along with the occasional leaves rustling and crunching under their feet. Soon, their work was done – but this is not the first job they've ever taken, nor will it be the last. The Anderson boss has been in 'business' for as long as he can remember; he inherited the head position from his father at a young age, and he intends to pass it onto his own son.

However, the Anderson family is far from perfect. From an outsider's glance, the family seems to get along well. They don't look like the type to be involved in such dark crimes; no one suspects them. But things may be dangerous for the family. In all their years of being involved in this business, they've never ran into any trouble. They've never experienced betrayal from a family member. And they most certainly never expect to. But, of course, no one knows what the future holds.

…

Ryan has always known his family was different. It's almost as if he's been aware from the moment he was born. One of his earliest memory of things not feeling quite right is from when he was four or five years old. He can recall so many different things from his past. Sometimes, he thinks it's odd just how good his memory is, but then again, he is glad he can always remember. It helps him come to a better conclusion on the type of people in his family. He loves his family; he believes he always will. But at times, he thinks it is best to distance himself from them altogether. Their lives clash too much – they're simply too different.

Ryan's father is one of the top bosses in a 'business'. At least, that's the word the boss uses to describe it, as if he feels the need to sugar-coat it or hide it. However, Ryan knows what it really is. For his family is involved in the mafia, one of the largest organisations in America, in fact. Their name is 'The Bloodstained Butterflies', a sort of dark twist on something once so innocent. Due to this mafia business, Ryan has had a restricted upbringing.

The boss could never trust his two children to make their own friends. He insisted on hiring a tutor for home schooling purposes, and the family moved to a new house at least every two years. On top of that, he always picked out his colleagues' children to be 'friends' of his own children. Naturally, Ryan grew up lacking the essential communication skills; to this very day, he still finds himself unable to maintain eye contact for very long; he ends up stumbling over his own words, too. Despite this, he's unsure whether the blame is on his father or simply himself. After all, Ryan did all he could to avoid being around those children. They were innocent, just as Ryan was in this situation - but due to being young and naive, he saw other children as rivals.

Having an overbearing older sister didn't make the boy's upbringing any easier. The siblings are a mere two years apart, and were raised together, but to Ryan it feels as though they are complete opposites. She took an interest in her father's work from a young age, whereas Ryan wanted to be left alone most of the time. She grew up to be strict, bossy, and rarely showed any kindness… Just like her father. Ryan doesn't feel much of a connection to her. He finds it to be rather upsetting, considering they were once so close. But once their father tried to drag Layla and Ryan into his business, the young boy resisted as much as he could. His sister, on the other hand, couldn't wait to start. And so, Ryan turned to music; something that would be a distraction from his chaotic family life.

The only one the boy admires in my family is his mother. His sweet, caring mother. She's everything Ryan aspires to be when he is older. Throughout his entire childhood, she was the only one who was truly there for him. She understood all his fears; she could always put his mind at ease. He felt as though he could talk to her freely, all the time.

Despite this family being so different… despite everything being so chaotic… There were never truly any _serious_ problems between them. Okay, so the parents were always at each other's throats, and Layla was always trying to push Ryan into the business. But up until a certain point in time, things were relatively calm. That was… until the boss took on some new help for his business. Ryan himself can recall the day quite well, even though he was only six-years-old. Even then, the storm didn't strike for another two years after that day. But of course, there's _always_ quiet before a storm.

…


	2. Chapter One - New Beginnings

**Chapter One – New Beginnings**

A business man, appearing to be in his mid-thirties, sits impatiently at his office desk. He slowly taps his fingers against the side of the desk, his eyes darting between the clock and the door. 'This incompetent fool is precisely five minutes late. This is unacceptable,' the man thinks to himself, his cold expression hardening.

A whole two minutes later, the office door swings open. The man shoots his glance towards the person standing in the doorway, his eyes beginning to grow narrow. Standing there is a mere teenager, seeming to be no older than sixteen. He has his hands dug into his pockets rather unprofessionally, slouching over ever so slightly as he stands there idly.

"You're late," the man growls, in a tone of frustration.

The teenager gives a carefree shrug at these words, staring right back at the man. He takes in the man's appearance, taking note of his short, light blonde hair and deep, threatening blue eyes. "Your wife kept talking to me about her kids."

"Tch…" the man quietly scoffs, shaking his head slightly. He gestures to the seat opposite him, not once taking his eyes off the new employee. "Well, don't waste any more time. Take a seat."

The teenager reluctantly complies, setting himself down on the comfortable leather chair. He feels just a bit nervous now that he's face-to-face with such an important man, but he remains calm on the outside. He takes in a breath, deciding to jump right into the important parts. "So, did I get the job here or not?"

The man lets out a quiet snicker. "…I admire your confidence, Eric."

The teen rolls his eyes lightly, leaning back casually against the chair, keeping his glance forward. "Mhm?"

"Well. I suppose we ought to get right into it. As you know, I interviewed quite a few other promising young adults. I'll be honest, you didn't quite stand out compared to the others… But there's something about your overall manner. It's why I called you back today." The man speaks in a monotone yet calm voice, his fingertips pressed firmly together, and his elbows propped up onto the desk.

The teen lets out a quiet sigh, breaking away from his usual stuck-up attitude for a few moments. "I truly appreciate it, Sir. I…"

"Call me William," the man promptly interrupts. He then gives a nod, allowing Eric to continue.

"I have a sick younger sister. And I'd do anything to support her," he simply says.

"Ah, so that's why you've turned to this sort of work…" William responds, pausing to let out a soft 'hmm' noise. "You're in luck, then. I have decided to take you on as my… let's say, 'sidekick'. I fear my children will reject this lifestyle, so I'm in need of a trustworthy successor."

"Always best to be prepared, I guess."

William gives a nod in agreement. "You'll carry out small tasks at first… And hopefully you'll be able to earn my trust and respect. But this day won't come for a long time. We'll take it one step at a time. At one point, I'm hoping you'll be able to help me influence my children."

"You mean, help you convince them to take this business seriously?" Eric wonders, with a curious tone. He tilts his head to the side ever so slightly, narrowing his eyes.

"More or less," William answers. "I suppose we can start by introducing you to them. If all goes well, you'll be part of the family in no time. And I can't have my children seeing you as a stranger." The man slides the chair backwards, getting up and standing on his feet now.

Eric coughs lightly, feeling overwhelmed by everything now. Just a few minutes ago, he was essentially a nobody. Even his boss said so himself – he didn't stand out compared to the other potential employees. But now, here he is, part of such a prestigious, well-known and much feared business. He tells himself there's no way he can mess this up now; for his own family's sake. He knows his family would probably disown him if they were to find out the truth of where he's working. Which is why he ultimately decides to keep it a secret for as long as he can.

The teenager hesitantly follows William through the many long, winding corridors of the astounding family mansion. He tries not to stare at all the different rooms and countless, classic paintings hung on the walls as he passes. He's never seen such a breath-taking, beautiful mansion before. He can't even begin to fathom how much this place costs the family.

Soon, Eric finds himself in a small, cosy living room. He glances around the room, beginning to feel rather out of place amongst all the wonderful things in the mansion. He comes to the realisation that the family is most likely rich – almost disgustingly rich – and he's been nothing but poor for the majority of his life. He gulps softly, shaking his head to dismiss such envious thoughts, before sending his curious eyes across the room.

The first thing he notices, and the first thing he actually feels, is the warmth from a traditional fireplace, which is burning away in the centre of the room. He then turns his eyes to the direction of some voices, coming from the right-hand corner of the room. He can see two small children sat opposite each other; a young boy and a slightly older girl, both with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. The girl holds some sort of book in her tiny hands, and it seems as though she's reading out loud to the boy.

"Children, come here, please." William pipes up after a couple moments, after Eric takes some time to fully scan the area.

Almost immediately, the two children comply with their father's demand. The girl closes the book she's holding and delicately sets it into the dark red and black tartan-style carpet; the boy gives a quiet sigh, and they both pull themselves to their feet at the same time. They walk towards their father, only just noticing the teenager standing there beside the man.

The boy gives a light huff, pushing his glasses up from the bridge of his nose, not giving the teenager a second glance. He instead turns to look at his father, folding his small arms over his chest. The girl, however, can't seem to take her bright, curious little eyes off the teenager.

Eric lets out a quiet cough once more, beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable with each second that painfully drags by. He rubs at the back of his neck for a moment, looking between the two children. They both appear to be smartly dressed, despite the fact that they have nowhere to go. The girl is wearing a dark blue dress that passes her knees; her light blonde hair is tied into two neat braids, both of which hang over her shoulders. The boy is wearing a cream top with an outer, light blue plaid vest, along with slightly baggy, dark trousers that almost cover his shoes. He is also wearing a pair of thick-framed glasses, which seem to be much too big for his small face. They're constantly slipping down from his eyes.

"I'd like you both to meet my new business partner," William says. Though there's a hint of excitement in his voice, not once does he crack a smile in front of his children. "This is Eric. He'll be staying with us for hopefully a long time. Consider him part of the family."

The children remain silent for a couple moments, as if they're processing the whole situation. The boy continues to stubbornly stare to the side, as a sort of protest. Whereas the girl still can't take her eyes off the teenager.

"Eric, these are my two children. This is Ryan," William continues, gesturing towards the stubborn little boy. He can't help but finally let out a small chuckle, noticing his son's silence. "Don't worry, he'll warm up to you eventually. And this is Layla." He then gestures to the little girl, whose grin brightens upon being noticed.

She gives an enthusiastic wave to the teenager. "It's so nice to meet you! Daddy said he was going to pick a new partner! I've been looking forward to meeting you!" Her voice comes out as sweet and full of joy.

Eric can't help but smile slightly, as he's reminded of his own little sister – a girl full of energy and happiness. "Uh… yeah, it's good to meet both of you," he says, trying not to come across as too excited.

"Now, the kids are only young…" William turns to face the teenager as he speaks. "I wouldn't worry too much about how they act around you. They'll be growing up with you around, so they should adjust sooner or later. Ryan should become less stubborn, and Layla should become less… well, hyper."

"It's okay," Eric simply says, giving a shrug. "I'm used to having my sister around. Even though she's sick, she still has her funny moments."

"Of course… Well, I have a meeting to arrange," William suddenly says, not seeming very interested in the teenager's words. "How about you get to know the kids a bit?" Without giving Eric an opportunity to respond, the man turns on his heels and makes his way out of the room.

The male lightly scratches at his cheek in slight confusion. He lets out a light sigh, wondering how to approach these rather unique kids. As he turns to look back at the siblings, he notices that the eldest is staring right at him – whereas the youngest has his gaze averted once more, his arms folded. Suddenly, he doesn't feel as excited as before. "Hey, you two…"

Almost immediately, the little girl Layla pipes up. "Yeah?" She grins brightly, still staring up at the older male in anticipation, wondering what he's going to say next.

"Hmph…" The slightest huff can be heard coming from the young boy, as he fixes his glance on the floor.

"How about you both tell me what hobbies you have? Or something…"

"Oh, I so wish. But Mommy will be here any minute now," the young boy finally says. His tone is bitter and alarmingly harsh for someone his age.

"Don't be rude, Ry!" Layla is quick to lecture her brother, a pout pulling at her lips.

Eric can't help but gulp; he can feel how awkward the situation is becoming. He tries his best to tread lightly as he speaks, not wanting to anger the clearly unpredictable Ryan any more. "Oh, your mom? I saw her just before I spoke to your dad. What has she been up to?" He looks to Layla, not expecting much of an answer from the other child.

However, before the girl can even open her mouth, Ryan is rather quick to interrupt. "None of your business."

A slight smirk pulls at the teen's lips at this point. He's beginning to find the stubborn young boy pretty entertaining now. Even though he knows he shouldn't, he _really_ wants to mess with the kid. Unable to resist temptation, the teenager lowers himself onto one knee, coming down to Ryan's height. He narrows his eyes, grinning away mischievously. "Hey, kid…"

The boy unfolds his arms, lifting his glance up to Eric now. His stubborn expression seems to fade, as he finds the teenager's mischievous look to actually be quite scary. Layla watches with curious eyes.

"I think you need to accept I'm part of the family now. Okay? So, it kind of is my business now. And if you're not very nice to me, I think I may have to tell your daddy…" He resists the urge to bite at his lip, wanting to suppress the oncoming laughter. Of course, he'd never actually rat out his boss's kids. Though the very mention of Mr Anderson makes Ryan tremble in fear.

"Y…You… You wouldn't…!" Ryan balls up his tiny hands into fists, stamping his foot onto the ground. Poor kid is definitely flustered now.

Eric gives a shrug of his shoulders, before picking himself back up to his normal height. "Consider me your new big bro."

"Ooh, I don't mind that! I don't mind!" Layla giggles happily, growing all excited at the thought of him being part of the family. "I always wanted a big brother! Ryan is cool but Eric is cooler!"

"Hey…!" Ryan whines, right on cue.

Eric can't help but let out a snicker at Layla's words. "Y'hear that, kid? Apparently, I'm cooler than you." He wastes no time rubbing it in.

"Are not…" the young boy mutters, letting out a huff.

"I totally am."

As Eric and Layla tease Ryan, the door to the living room swings open behind them. Being attentive as always, Ryan almost instantly notices this, and his eyes light up when he sees who enters. "Mommy!"

"Eh…" Eric quietly sighs, knowing his fun is over. He reminds himself this job is going to be serious business 95% of the time. He turns on his heels, along with Layla – who doesn't seem as enthusiastic anymore – to see Mrs Anderson herself.

Ryan hurries towards his mother, holding his small arms out to wrap her legs in a tight hug. "I missed you, Mommy."

Monica lets out a soft, chilled sort of laugh. She's rather calm, much like William, though her caring nature shines through more than her husband's. She rests her palm on top of her son's head, lightly ruffling his short hair. "I missed you too, Ry. But I'm here now."

Eric eventually catches Monica's glance, and once he does, he gives her a slight wave. "Nice to see you again, Mrs Anderson." He then thinks to himself, ' _how on earth did William score someone as beautiful as Monica?'._

The woman is rather beautiful indeed. With short, perfectly wavy light blonde hair, shimmering green eyes and a youthful aura surrounding her, any man would be lucky just to talk to her. "Ah yes, it's lovely to see you. Eric, yes? It's so good to see that my husband offered you the job."

' _Then again, she'd be way hotter if she dropped the whole perfect mom act,'_ he quickly thinks to himself, discreetly rolling his eyes. Thoughts of hotness completely dismissed. Eric just smiles and nods as the woman speaks, waiting for her to finish. "I'm so grateful, for real."

"I see you've been getting to know the kids."

Layla lets out a soft groan, growing impatient around her mother. "Mom, where did Daddy go? I wanna go see Daddy."

Eric raises a brow slightly as he hears this. Clearly, something is off here. But he can't figure out what just yet.

Monica simply gives a sigh at Layla's words. "Your daddy is in a meeting, sweetheart."

"Ugh… fine…" she huffs in a bitter tone, rolling her eyes.

Eric bites down on his lower lip, swallowing the urge to laugh. Apparently, both of these kids have some serious attitude problems. "Ah, yes, I've been getting to know these two. They're rather… unique. Is your son always so… I don't know… not trusting?"

Right on cue, a sort of scowl pulls at the young boy's features. He glances up to his mother, silently asking her to defend him.

The woman lets a soft laugh escape her lips. She reaches her arm across the boy's back, resting a hand on his shoulder gently. "Don't worry about him. He's just met you – I'm sure he'll warm up in no time."

"Hmph." Ryan doesn't seem to agree with that.

"So… What were you kids up to before I got here, hmm?"

…

Those days were so much simpler for the Anderson family. Things couldn't have gone smoother. Despite his short, poorly put together resume, Eric seemed reliable in person. He was clearly trustworthy and so much more. William believed he made the right choice that day, even though his work partners advised against his decision. Yet, as time passed, Eric's loyalty shone through, and the boss's partners were proved wrong. They all too reluctantly admitted their faults; they still felt as though there was _something_ off about the teenager, however.

Ultimately, their opinions didn't matter. They were the ones stuck in offices all day, tediously searching through heavily encrypted documents – they only played a small role in the grand scheme. So, of course, the Anderson boss would never take their opinions into consideration. Besides, after so much time had passed, William couldn't possibly risk getting rid of Eric. The teenager had begun to grow close to the two children; he became sort of a big brother to them. Naturally, Ryan was still as stubborn as ever around the older male, but it was safe to say he'd toned it down just a bit.

However, tensions soon began to grow as the months passed. The situation between Mr and Mrs Anderson was starting to unravel. Ever since William decided to take on the role as the head of his business, Monica began to feel overwhelmed. She suddenly had to drop most things she loved to do, just so she could make sure she was always there for her children. She had to reluctantly reduce her hours at her own job, so she could escort her children to and from their current private school. She deeply cared about her children, but as the months passed, she noticed Layla was beginning to drift away from her love of being at home.

Layla may have been young, but she was certainly clever. She was partially aware of what her father was up to; she knew there was a lot of danger in this job. She just wasn't sure what exactly the job was. And so, the mystery was almost too alluring to bear to the young girl. Children are naturally curious, of course, so she took it upon herself to learn more. The only problem was, she started spending more and more time away from home, always wanting to find her father.

Monica found this rather unsettling indeed. She knew exactly what William was doing; she knew all about the illegal activity, the disturbing cases of murder, and so much more. She absolutely did not want a girl so young – especially her own daughter – to be dragged into such a mess. She tried her very hardest to keep Layla away from her father, attempting to distract her with wonderful daytrips and expensive toys. Of course, Layla was most certainly not interested in childish toys. And of course, when William was informed of Monica doing this, he was furious.

Despite their obvious differences and growing hatred for one another, Monica could not just leave. She knew that if she tried to file for a divorce, her children would be left all alone. There would be no one to take care of Ryan; Layla would no longer have a mother figure in her life, even if she preferred her father's company. And so, she stayed. However, the romance she once had with William was now burnt out. The flame of love they once shared could be no more. Monica kept her distance from the business, soon realising she could only protect Ryan from such a gruesome world.

However, she knew there was one other soul who could be protected from such an awful business.

 **...**

Hidden away in the upper parts of the Anderson mansion is a small, yet comfortable room, which only gets used once every week. There are many, many different rooms throughout the house; some of them are empty, some of them are used for storage, and others haven't been touched in years. However, this room in particular has been regularly graced with the presence of two people. If other rooms were personified and could feel jealousy, they'd most certainly be jealous of this room.

There's not much beauty to it – the walls are splashed with a basic cream, and the floorboards are hugged tightly with a soft, dark brown carpet. There is a small window, which grants a decent enough view into the vast back garden. But this room isn't just for sightseeing. Tucked away in the left corner of the room is a beautiful grand piano. Although this was bought by William himself, it was entrusted to his son Ryan for his fifth birthday. William bought this piano, in hopes of awakening a hidden talent in his rather young son, until the boy was old enough to move onto bigger things. A hidden talent was indeed awakened in Ryan; he developed quite the knack at being able to read sheet music and play relatively simple compositions.

The boy was once given weekly lessons, with his father accompanying him to see him progress. But soon enough, his father was no longer able to attend these lessons alongside his son. He even forgot to continue paying the tutor. Ryan was crushed, naturally. But he was also not one to give up. He continued his lessons whenever he could, all by himself, sneaking up to the room and dedicating himself to practicing. After a while, Monica began to sit by Ryan's side as he developed his abilities. Even though he was only six, his skills were rather impressive at the time. Monica eventually began to stop by with Ryan every week, and she even tried her best to help teach and encourage him to continue.

Today, the room will be graced once more with the presence of Ryan and Monica. Their lessons are still going strong, even though tensions between the family are still as thick as ever. It has been around one year since William took on his new partner; the stubborn, hot-headed teenager whose attitude has only gotten worse since he's been involved in so many dangerous situations. Ryan had grown to tolerate – maybe even like – the older boy during the first few months… But then, he realised Eric was just like William. The same stuck-up, irritating man who only cared about himself. Ryan wanted nothing to do with that sort of person.

Even though Ryan had already made up his mind, Monica felt differently. At first, she thought there'd be no talking the teenager out of this job. He was so enthusiastic – but so was she, at one point. She really thinks she can convince the young man to step away from such work, while he still has his youth and relative freedom. And today is the day where she finally makes her mind up to try and bring this topic up in conversation. She knows it won't be easy, but she's willing to try.

Right on cue, the young Anderson boy swings the door open. His mother is unable to come along straight away, so he usually practices for a while to later show off his skills. Once again, Ryan had to escape his father. Recently, the boss has tried to encourage his son to come along to fighting practice – including slashing with knives, holding all sorts of large, heavy guns, and much more. The mere idea of hurting someone makes Ryan feel sick to his stomach, so he remained stubborn when facing his father, and declined many times. The man is persistent, though. He still tries whenever he can.

Ryan lets out a soft sigh, pushing the door shut behind him, before making his way towards the marvellous grand piano in the room. A slight smile spreads across his features in excitement, as he sets himself down on the white cushioned stool. This is his favourite day of the week – where it's just him and his mother, and no one else can disturb them.

He reaches his hands up to the pile of sheet music atop the piano stand, and he grabs hold to shuffle through them. He takes a minute or so to come to a decision, wondering to himself what he feels like playing today. There are many classical pieces amongst the pile; he finds himself naturally drawn towards the originality, the tone, and just about everything. The way he can just feel the stress and pressure caused by his father melting away whenever he loses himself in playing. With a grin still plastered across his face, Ryan returns the sheets to the stand, and places his chosen piece on the centre.

Eric, free from his boss's orders for once, aimlessly wanders the long and winding, seemingly never-ending halls of the Anderson home. He lightly drags his feet across the bright marble flooring, probably leaving behind some dirt from outdoors behind. As expected, his hands are dug into his pockets while walking, and he's slouching over a bit. Things have been relatively easy for the 17-year-old for a while now. He's managed to gain the trust of his boss, William Anderson himself, and he's definitely trusted by the young Layla. He has no idea where he stands with Mrs Anderson and her son, however.

As he trails through the halls, these sorts of thoughts fill his mind. He's grateful for everything this family has done for him. He wishes he could work from his own home, but he knows that would be far too risky. Even so, he visits his family whenever he can. Since he's currently off duty, he's contemplating taking a visit home right now. He's relieved that he can now afford steady payments for his younger sister's medical bills.

Most days, Eric feels as though he's got something to look forward to in the future. This is due to him working regularly, and keeping busy helps him stay as positive as he can. But when he's got nothing to do during the day, like right now, he starts to feel a bit down. He wonders if he can muster up the energy to visit his family right now. While walking past some rooms, he can hear a faint yet sweet piano melody drifting through the area. He stops in his tracks, perking his head up in interest. He can't quite recall if he's heard someone playing a piano before, which is why he's so interested. And at least this will give him something to occupy himself with.

Pulling his hands from his pockets, he narrows his eyes a bit and tries to follow the music. He only ends up being a few rooms away from where the melody is coming from. He stops outside of the room, noticing the door is slightly ajar. He suddenly feels a bit awkward, wondering to himself if he should push the door open or lightly knock to make his presence known. Before doing anything, Eric glances into the room curiously, to see who's there.

He sets his eyes on the young Anderson boy, who appears to be lost in his own little world of playing the piano. Eric can't help but let out a soft, almost gloomy sigh at the sight, as his mind is quickly overwhelmed with thoughts from his past. Not wanting to disturb the male just yet, Eric slowly, carefully pushes the door open. He keeps his distance, staying out of the room, and just stands there in awe. He recognises the piece that the boy is playing, and he's definitely impressed by the level of skill such a young child possesses. He's overcome with a strong wave of nostalgia; how he would sit for hours and hours with his sister when they were younger, and when she wasn't so unwell.

The teenager gladly stands around for quite some time, listening to the boy playing. Once he is done, he finally decides to make his presence known. As Ryan shuffles through some more music sheets, Eric reaches a hand to the door and lightly taps his knuckles against the wood.

Ryan lets out an excited gasp, hoping it's his mother who arrived early. He almost drops the sheets he's holding, as he happily jumps up from the stool and spins round, his eyes bright and hopeful. When he realises it's not his mother, but rather the teenager he doesn't like one bit, his expression fades to that of a blank, subtly annoyed one.

The teen obviously notices the excitement on the male's face, and how he's then overcome with disappointment. He lets out a sigh, knowing not to take such a change personally. He's always known the boy hasn't liked him – which is what makes it even more fun when it comes to teasing. He knows he shouldn't provoke the boy or make him all flustered, but Eric misses the days of relentlessly teasing his own sibling. Finally, with a light grin pulling at his lips, he speaks up. "You don't seem too happy to see me."

"I thought you were my mom." Almost instantly, Ryan fires back at the teenager, in a frighteningly cold tone. He puffs his cheeks out in annoyance, not wanting to deal with Eric today. He only wants to see his mother. Despite their age difference, and despite Eric's position as the boss's partner, Ryan isn't worried about him at all. He's as confident as ever while challenging the teenager. "What are you even doing here?"

"Come on. I'm practically your big brother at this point," he says, adding a quiet laugh. He takes a few steps into the room, moving toward the direction of where the boy is.

"You'll never be family to me," Ryan simply responds, shutting him down completely.

Although hearing such words seems to hurt the teen more than usual this time, he doesn't let it show. "You're real harsh for a kid, you know," he nonchalantly states.

"And you're real annoying for a teenager."

"You seem to be missing the point of being a teenager, kid." Eric lets out a laugh, finding the boy's inability to keep supplying consistent comebacks rather humorous. Noticing that the boy's face is growing redder by the second, due to inevitable anger bubbling up, Eric decides to stop teasing. For now. "Okay, but for real. I just heard some music coming from here and wanted to check it out."

"I thought you had some awful work to do with my awful father." Uninterested in the older male's reasoning, Ryan skips ahead to being blunt once more.

"You really know how to guilt trip people, huh?" He raises a brow, a slight laugh passing his lips. "Well. Your 'awful' father gave me a bit of a break today. He's at…"

"I didn't ask where he was," Ryan quickly interrupts.

"Alright, alright." Eric raises his hands in defeat, sighing after. Silence falls between the two. Unable to deal with such an awkward atmosphere, the teen speaks again. "So, uh, what were you playing? It sounded pretty good."

The young boy lets out a huff in irritation, turning his back on the older male and sitting back down by the piano. "Vivaldi, if you really want to know." Though he's stubborn, he can't pass up an opportunity to brag about how great he is. After all, most kids are similar in that aspect.

Curious, the teenager takes a few steps towards the piano, coming to Ryan's side and peeking down to the music sheets. He lets out a low whistle, scanning his eyes over the complex composition. "Yeah, I could never play this stuff."

"I don't think you can play in the first place," Ryan remarks, quick-witted once again.

"I _can_ play… Just not this complex sh- Ah, I mean, _stuff._ " Eric gulps quietly after speaking, almost letting out a swear without realising. He's been so used to being around adults who constantly curse, that he forgets it's not acceptable around children.

Of course, clever little Ryan doesn't let the teenager get away with it so easily. "People like you and my father are all the same. Small-minded and obsessed with bad words. I mean, did you forget somehow that I'm _not_ one of you?"

Eric's eyes grow wide as he hears this from the boy. He looks right at Ryan, stunned into silence for a few moments, actually rather impressed. Then, he begins to laugh loudly. "Kid. I'm not even annoyed at what you just said. You're so sharp and witty that it's amazing."

"S-Stop laughing at me…!" the boy suddenly demands, a pout pulling at his lips. He feels humiliated. He wants to be taken seriously just once.

"Alright, sorry." The teen gives a heavy sigh, calming himself down. He turns his glance back towards the sheets of music. "Back to the matter at hand. You sure seem to know a lot about music. And I could _reaaally_ do with a few lessons…"

"Ugh. Please. I'm not giving YOU lessons!" The young boy scoffs in a tone of almost disgust. "I can't handle being around you so long."

"Come on. It won't be for that long," Eric continues, insistent on learning something.

"No."

"But you're so good!"

"I know I am."

"I won't tease you anymore."

"No."

Eric groans loudly at this, exasperated and defeated. "Fine. I'm staying here to listen, though."

"Nooo, you're not!" Ryan begins to whine, growing just as irritated as the teenager. Before he has a chance to throw a full-blown tantrum, and possibly forcefully remove Eric from the room, a light tap can be heard coming from behind, on the door.

The two turn around from the piano, and as soon as Ryan sees who's standing there this time, all his anger fades within a split second. Meanwhile, a large grin of victory forms on Eric's face. "Yes, I am."

"Knock, knock." Standing at the door now is Mrs Anderson herself. Finally, she's free from her other duties around the house; she's cleaned up a bit, looked after Layla before she ran off to her father, and now, she's come to see arguably her favourite child. Her sparkling blue eyes light up when Ryan comes running towards her.

"Mommy! You're finally here!"

The teenager observes their interactions, curious. The only time he's seen Ryan this happy is whenever Monica is around.

The woman softly ruffles her son's hair, smiling down softly to him. "I'm sorry for taking so long this time, sweetheart. I just really wanted to make sure nothing was bothering your sister."

The young boy frowns at this, lowering his glance to his mother's shoes. He's definitely started to notice that he and Layla have grown apart for more than a few months now. "…is she okay?"

Eric raises a brow at this exchange, wondering what's going on exactly. He hasn't had much time himself to pay attention to the siblings – specifically their relationship. He remains silent, of course.

Monica takes in a shaky breath. She doesn't want to lie to her little boy, but at the same time, she doesn't want to upset him even more. "Don't worry, sweetheart. She's okay." She kneels slightly, gently resting her fingers under Ryan's chin; she tilts his head back up, so their eyes meet. "Don't be sad, honey…" Her voices lowers to a soothing whisper.

"Mommy…" Ryan lightly bites down on his lower lip, as he looks up to his mother. The two share a warm embrace for a couple moments, and soon, the cheery atmosphere is restored.

"It's nice to see you here, Eric." Monica finally speaks to the teenager, after seeing to her son. She's considering bringing up a rather heavy topic, but she wonders if she should save it for when Ryan isn't around.

"Ah, yeah, good to see you too, Mrs Anderson," Eric replies, giving a nod. He snaps back into focus, not dwelling on other thoughts anymore. "I hope you don't mind me here. I feel like I may be cutting in on some quality bonding time…?"

The woman lets out a soft laugh, before shaking her head. "Come to think of it, I don't know that much about you. I think this will be perfect."

Ryan pouts, discreetly rolling his sarcastic little eyes. He wants his mother to tell Eric to leave, but he knows that won't be happening any time soon.

"So, what were you two up to before I got here?" the woman asks, with a curious little smile.

"Well, Ryan here agreed to teach me how to play something on the piano," the teenager quickly cuts in, giving a bright smile.

Ryan tries his best not to show any irritation.

Monica clasps her palms together in excitement. "Oh, that sounds like a lot of fun! Come on, Ry. Let's see what you can teach Eric!"

"…Fine."

…

A couple of hours pass by, full of fun, laughter and some irritation (from Ryan). Despite Eric's claims of greatness, and having 'previous experience', he turns out to be a rather lousy piano player. But Ryan tries his best to remain calm and continue their lesson. Mrs Anderson herself seems to deeply enjoy the males' bonding experience, and it crushes her to think she'll soon have to convince Eric to leave. She has no idea how much longer she can emotionally support her son on her own.

After twenty painful minutes (again, for Ryan), the song the males are practicing finally comes to an end. The young boy exhales in relief, whereas the teenager puts on a proud grin. Monica lets out a soft laugh, clapping her palms together to congratulate the two. "Oh, you two, that was so wonderful. You worked together very well."

"You think…?" Ryan mutters under his breath, though it's still very much audible to the other two.

"You're a great teacher, kid! You could totally be an instructor at some college when you're older," Eric pipes up, playfully slapping the young boy on the back.

"Ugh-!" Ryan coughs, almost being shoved off the chair; his glasses almost falling off, too. "Careful!"

"Aha… sorry," the teen laughs, rubbing the back of his own head. "I don't know my own strength."

"Gah…" Ryan simply rolls his eyes at this cocky remark.

Monica just watches the two as they interact. She notes how they're practically like brothers, teasing each other and all. How, even though Ryan may appear harsh, he must definitely feel some sort of positive emotion toward the teenager. And how Ryan _definitely_ needs a figure like Eric in his life.

"Mommy, could I go and play in the garden now?" Ryan asks, looking towards his mother. "I need a break after all… uh…" He darts his eyes to Eric quickly, pausing his words, then back to his mother. "…this."

"Of course, sweetheart," Monica says, giving a light nod. "I'll join you in a few minutes, alright?"

"Alright!" Ryan happily beams, pushing himself up from the piano stool.

"Have fun, kid," Eric grins, lifting his hand to give a wave.

Ryan quietly huffs as a response, moving to the door and making his way out. This leaves Monica alone with Eric now.

"Uh… Thanks for letting me play today, Mrs A," the teenager bashfully says, naturally feeling a bit awkward around the woman, as the two have never communicated much.

She gives a soft smile, picking up on his shyness but understanding how he feels. "Yes, you're always welcome to join in the fun."

"You sure Ryan doesn't mind?" He lets out a slight laugh at this. Although he tends not to let it show, he does feel a bit sad about the fact that the boy directs so much anger towards him.

"No, no. These days, it takes the poor boy a while to warm up to people," Monica responds, shaking her head slowly.

"Right…" Eric mutters. "I suppose I could join in, then. When I'm free from doing… y'know… job stuff."

"Yes…" Monica gives a sigh at this, lowering her glance to the floor. "I wanted to discuss something with you, actually."

"Oh?" The teen tilts his head to the side, curious.

"Well, you see… As much as both Ryan and I would love to have you around…"

As Monica pauses, struggling to find the right words to say, a little click noise comes from the two-way radio attached to Eric's belt. Both Monica and the teen instantly look towards the radio, and a familiar voice comes through. "Eric. Get over to my office, now."

"Ugh…" Eric groans quietly, moving his hand toward his belt and unclipping the radio. He lifts it up to his mouth, before pressing down a button and answering. "Yea'. I'll be over right away, boss." He removes his finger from the button, clipping the radio back onto his belt.

"Ah, duty calls," Monica laughs.

"Yeah, sorry. Maybe we can continue this conversation later?" Eric suggests, taking a few steps to the door.

"Huh…" The woman hesitates, wondering if she really wants to separate her son and the teenager _right this minute._ She can't bear the thought of breaking Ryan's little heart again. "No, there'll be no need. It's not important."

"Oh… Right." He gives a nod, slightly confused by the sudden break off of the topic, but he lets it slide. "Seeya later then, Mrs A."

"Yes, see you."

The male keeps the door slightly open behind him, leaving it the same way he found it when he entered earlier. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he gives a slight disappointed sigh while beginning to trail through the halls of the mansion. He keeps his glance on his moving feet, thoughts beginning to fill his mind. He thoroughly enjoyed his time with Monica and Ryan; for once, he feels reluctant to return to work. He wants to spend more time bonding with this family, as he misses being around his own family.

"Tch…" He lets out a quiet scoff, shaking his head to dismiss such negative thoughts. "Time to get your head back in the game."

…


	3. Chapter Two - Into The Shadows

**Chapter Two – Into The Shadows**

It takes the teenager around five minutes to make it from one end of the house to the other, but soon, he finds himself back at his boss's office once more. He stands before the man, and though he appears to be calm and collected, his following words are far from that.

"You extended your break by ten minutes. I don't know where you got the balls to do that, but you definitely should not make a habit of such poor behaviour." William's tone is cold and serious. He stands behind his desk, digging his sharp glare into his apprentice.

Eric rubs at the back of his neck, racking his brain for an appropriate response. He genuinely had no idea that he spent so much time away from his duties. "Ah… sorry?"

The man grits his teeth together, frustration beginning to take over already. He stares down to the teenager, sending an intimidating, narrow glare his way. "I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself."

"Ahhh…" Eric mutters under his breath, wondering if he should tell the truth about what he's been doing during his time off. He moves his hand from rubbing awkwardly at his neck. "Well, I kinda walked in on your kid playing piano."

William's expression grows less tense, as he raises an eyebrow. Whether he's humouring the teenager or not isn't clear. "Oh… I see… And so, you spent some quality time with him?"

"I… guess?"

"Huh…" William lets out a mocking laugh in a low hiss, shaking his head. In the blink of an eye, he swiftly pulls his hands from behind his back to slam his palms onto his desk, projecting a loud, echoing thud through the room.

Eric almost jumps out of his skin at the sudden fury-filled action. "Jesus…!" He instinctively shifts a foot behind him, exhaling sharply to try and calm down.

Not even a couple of seconds after this, William raises his voice to demonstrate authority over the male. "I'm not paying you to take leisurely strolls across _my_ house, and I'm certainly not paying you to babysit _MY_ children! If you screw me over and make me wait like this again, I will have you taken care of so fast, you'll wish you never set foot in this house. Understood?"

Eric's eyes grow wide as he hears William's tone grow more irritated and even more terrifying with each word. For the first time in months, Eric's heart is pounding wildly in his chest, and even his legs are trembling. After all, he's never been on the receiving end of his boss's ranting before. He enjoys seeing so-called 'enemies' shiver in fear and beg for mercy, but in this moment, he understands exactly how they feel against the wrath of Mr Anderson.

The teenager silently gulps, wasting no time in answering. "Yes, Sir. Promise, it won't be happening again."

William takes in a deep breath, attempting to compose himself once more. He has no regrets whatsoever regarding his actions – so he's certainly not going to start empathising after ripping into his own apprentice. He slowly pulls his hands from his desk, straightening himself out to stand up tall and fearsome as always.

Eric watches his boss's movements closely now, being sure to stay attentive and more focused than ever before. He knows he'll have to make this mistake up in his work later. "What's our next move?"

The man gives a heavy sigh, running his fingers through his hair, in what appears to be distress. "I have been informed of a new, small gang uprising. They're nothing but amateurs for sure, however, they're still bad news. Quite literally, as well. They're claiming one of our attacks as their doing."

"Tch. Some people sure do like to try it on, don't they?" the teenager remarks, folding his arms over his chest. "So lemme guess, we gotta find 'em and take away their five minutes of fame?"

"Yes, that is the plan." The man gives a nod. "I have some of my men gathering information on them, and trying to track down any hideouts. All we have so far is that they're under orders of a Mr Fletcher."

"Well, if they're small…"

Before Eric can continue, there is an abrupt loud knock on the office door from behind. The teen turns his head to look over his shoulder, while the boss allows access.

The door swings open, revealing one of William's research assistants. "Very sorry to disturb you both, but we've made a breakthrough regarding the Fletchers."

William lifts his arm, gesturing his assistant to come in. "Alex. Tell us everything you have."

Compared to the boss, this woman named Alex is rather short, and also rather young. No older than 20, at the least. Her heels click softly against the floor as she walks forward, and her long light brown hair bounces slightly behind her, stopping at Eric's side. She's currently in casual wear, as she's been stuck in the office for many hours at a time, to extensively gather anything she can on their new rivals.

She coughs lightly, glancing down to the rather thick pile of paper cradled in her arms. "One of our workers in the outside research team had managed to catch a glimpse of the Fletcher boss himself. It was late, probably around 3 or 4am, but our hard scouting work payed off. He followed Fletcher discreetly for maybe half an hour, and ended up outside what appears to be the man's family home."

Both William and Eric listen carefully to Alex's information, taking in every word. Though Eric needn't think and analyse this information as much as the boss, he still finds it rather exciting. It's been a while since a new rival has popped up, so now is Eric's chance to regain his passion for the job.

"James has the exact locations, though, so it would be best to check it out with him. Oh, but also, after doing some digging, I found a couple of profiles that match the name Fletcher based on his home's location."

"Go on…" William says, giving a nod. He's proud of his workers for such dedication, but he knows they'd never fail him.

"One of the men is Malcolm Fletcher – this seems to be the father. The other is Oliver, who is quite clearly the son. I found a few pictures of Malcolm himself, and based on James's description of the man he tracked not so long ago, this would indeed be the leader of the new gang."

The boss lets out a deep sigh in relief. "That's great news, Alex. Thank you for all your hard work."

"So, ah… what do we do with this information?" Eric curiously pipes up, looking between Alex and William.

"Well, logically, our next step is to gather information on gang members, or even family members. We'll get on it right away," Alex promptly responds.

"I'd say it's best to get on that right away," William says, coming to a decision. "Come, Eric. Alex, allow us to join you so we can get those locations."

"Yes, Sir."

In all his time here, Eric can't recall ever setting foot in any special offices. So now, this is an important moment for him – he's excited, but ever so slightly nervous, due to the responsibilities that will come with such a task. He follows closely behind Alex, as she heads down to the end of a fairly short hall, where there is a lift.

The teenager simply watches in awe as he passes through these new areas. Within a few minutes, the three are near the top floor of the mansion, standing inside a dimly lit office room. Eric's eyes grow slightly wide in admiration, as he scans the surrounding area. It's only a small space, yet it's still impressive. The lights give off a soft glow, which have been adjusted to remain easy on the eyes of workers who stare at computer screens for many hours. There are around six different employees scattered across the office, some sitting in front of double screens, and the others sifting through worksheets and taking down notes.

"James." Not long after arriving, William speaks up in a relatively loud voice, to gain the attention of a certain worker.

A man with short, curly hair spins around swiftly on his chair, upon hearing the familiar voice of his boss. His eyes are heavy, yet he remains as positive as always. He seems to be the same age as William, so it's clear he is used to working long hours. "Ah, William. There you are. I take it Alex filled you in on everything."

"More or less, yes," the boss replies, before moving towards James and beginning a conversation.

While this takes place, Eric can only blink, left feeling confused and lost. There's so much to this job that he hasn't seen yet, and now he's been thrown in the deep end so suddenly, it's only inevitable he feels this way. There are so many unfamiliar faces, as well. He notes this research department is mainly filled with men in their thirties or forties; this, too, leaves him feeling a complete lack of experience.

Alex, noticing that Eric is lost in thought, coughs softly before speaking up to him. "I can probably guess what you're thinking right now."

"Eh?" The teenager quickly shakes his head, snapping out of deep thought as he hears a soft voice. He is also quick to turn his glance to the woman at his side. "Ah… Is that so?"

A sweet, sympathetic smile spreads across her features. It's only now that Eric realises just how angelic this young woman is, after getting an actual look at her. "Mhm. I was in your position, just a couple years ago myself."

The teenager is caught completely off guard by this sudden warm feeling within him, especially after seeing her lovely smile. He finds himself unable to take her eyes from her entire being; he takes in every last feature of hers. From her slightly curvy hourglass figure - which suits her rather well - to her plump lips, small button nose, long fluttering eyelashes, and mesmerising deep brown eyes. This is indeed the definition of infatuation. In fact, he almost forgets to answer her. "A-Ah…" He hesitantly scratches at his cheek, before giving a nervous response. "A-A couple years ago, huh? You're…pretty impressive… I, I mean…! _It's_ pretty impressive! How you've stayed here so long."

Tongue-tied? Check. Staring in admiration? Check. This is sure to be a recipe for disaster.

Alex blinks a few times, out of confusion. She can see the way this male is staring at her, and while it makes her feel a bit uncomfortable at first, she quickly finds herself fighting back the urge to laugh – even more so when he begins stuttering and messing up his words. She gently bites down onto her lower lip, looking the male up and down for a couple moments. "…How old did you say you were, again?"

"Um… ah… S-Seventeen. Almost eighteen though." He is quick to add that he's going to be a year older rather soon, perhaps to impress her.

"Mm…" she thoughtfully hums in response. She decides to feel flattered that he's taken an interest in her – though this one enjoys playing hard to get.

Just as the two begin to talk a bit more, William's voice can be heard beckoning them over. "Come take a look at these locations, you two."

The pair exchange glances for a split second, before looking away and following their boss's request. Alex walks forward first, with Eric hanging behind a bit. He knows he has to focus now, so he tries his best to take his eyes from the back of his new crush.

Both William and James turn away from the computer screens. "James has found a few different locations which could be near Fletcher's hideout. It seems as though this sneaky rat has multiple safehouses," the boss explains. "Eric. Tonight, you and I will scope out one of these safehouses. I will gather a few more men to infiltrate the other two locations. Tonight is not an attack, however. We'll just be gathering more information. We have no idea how much of a threat this group poses."

The teenager gives a nod in understanding. "Got it, boss."

"Alex. James." The Anderson man looks between the two now. "If you would, please try to gather profiles on Fletcher's family. You may take a break once my team and I leave tonight. As for you, Eric, make sure you're back at my office at 10pm sharp. We don't want a repeat of earlier."

Alex raises a brow slightly in curiosity, upon hearing these words from her boss. She holds back a giggle, immediately knowing what type of person Eric is – and she likes it. Eric, on the other hand, gives a sheepish nod, before mumbling an 'okay'.

"Now, if you'll excuse me. I wish to spend the rest of the day with my family." And with that, the man turns on his heels and heads towards the lift.

Eric lets out a quiet sigh in relief, feeling much less tense once the boss is gone. The amount of stress and pressure he feels has been doubled by today's events. He is pulled from thought when he feels a gentle hand being placed upon his shoulder. He lifts his glance up, looking to the side, seeing that it's Alex. He forgets about the stress practically straight away once he feels her delicate touch.

"Hey, wanna see how things work around here?" she offers, a smile pulling at her lips. "It's way more fun than it looks."

"Uh… y…yeah, sure." He mentally slaps himself, scolding himself for constantly stuttering like a fool in front of her. He coughs, attempting to play it cool. "I mean, that'd be pretty neat."

Seeing the two obviously flirting, James rolls his eyes and spins back around on his chair to face the computer screens once more.

"Great," Alex grins in response.

…

William moves his way through the house, looking forward to sitting down to a nice meal after such a long, stress-filled day. He's grateful that his wife Monica always prepares wonderful, delicious meals – but part of him subconsciously takes her dedication for granted. Glancing down to his watch, he makes sure he's right on time for the meal being served.

The true Anderson 'home' lies on the ground floor of the mansion; every essential room for a house is found across this space. Almost every other room, with some exceptions, is dedicated to their business. Letting out a soft yawn, William finally approaches the dining hall, where he finds Monica and his two children just about to tuck into dinner.

Upon hearing the door open, the family all turn to look, to see who it is. Out of the three of them, each seem to have a different reaction to seeing the boss himself, which says a lot about how the family works. Layla's eyes brighten up when she sees her father; whereas Ryan only has a quick glance before staring down to his plate. Monica is physically exhausted, but she puts on a soft, welcoming smile.

"Daddy! You were almost late!" Layla lets out an excited giggle, lightly bouncing on her chair.

"Sorry, princess. I had a lot of work to do," William sincerely responds, before moving towards the seat next to his wife.

Ryan keeps his glance low, impatiently prodding his fork against his food, wanting to get the meal over with already.

"That's okay, darling," Monica says, a hint of exhaustion in her voice. Once her husband sits down, she reaches over to plant a kiss on his cheek. "I wouldn't let these two touch their food until their father arrived."

"Ah, you're too sweet, my love," William laughs.

"So, we can eat now?" Ryan only speaks up to ask this very question, and it ends up coming out in a rather rude, blunt tone. Monica sends her glance toward Ryan, as if to silently tell him to be less rude to his father.

William can only let out a laugh. Though at times he appreciates his son's strange manner, today, he's not in the right mood at all. "Ryan… Don't talk in such a way, please," he says in his best stern, warning tone, while remaining calm.

"I only asked a question…" the boy mutters, bitterly.

"Ugh, Ry, knock it off," Layla scoffs, fed up as always of her brother's attitude.

"Children…" Monica impatiently coughs.

"No, don't worry, dear," William says, giving a sigh. "Go on, let's all tuck in, shall we?"

Giving a huff in defeat, Ryan is the first to begin eating – soon followed by the rest of the family, moments later. As the family starts to eat, a deafening silence falls upon them. Already, there is a bit of a tense atmosphere between the four. Though this is the norm for the family now; something always goes wrong during a meal.

William swallows his first few bites, before deciding to make some small talk. "Wow. This is delicious, dear," he says, referring to the food his wife has prepared. She spent quite some time, preparing medium-sized fillets of fish, minted potatoes and a variety of vegetables.

"Oh…" Monica swallows her current bite, before sending a slight smile to the man. "Thank you. Although it's a bit hard by myself." The woman can't help but add in that sly remark, referring to how she's left to manage everything single-handedly. And some people wonder where Ryan gets his sass from.

William is clearly oblivious to the meaning behind her remark, however. "Oh, I'm sure it is. But you're so good at keeping it together."

"Yes…" Monica says, in a slight irritated tone, but it doesn't come through much.

Silence falls again. Only quiet clacks and other noises from cutlery can be heard. After a minute or so, Layla can't take the silence for much longer – so, she decides to pipe up with her endless curiosity. "What were you doing today, daddy?"

Upon hearing this question, William finishes off the food he's chewing, and sets his knife and fork down for a few moments. "Today, I made a very important discovery, princess."

"Ooh, dis…discovery…" She struggles a bit to repeat that word, having not heard it enough before. "Important! What was it?"

Monica is quick to cut in, giving a cough. "Let's not discuss your father's work at the dinner table, love."

"Yeah, please," Ryan says, piping in to agree.

"Actually, Monica, it's as important as I say it is. I think we all deserve to hear this, as it poses a threat to our prestigious name."

Ryan rolls his eyes at his father's dramatic statement, before leaning back against his chair in a slump.

"Yes, but I'm sure it can wait," the woman tries to argue.

"No! I wanna hear it now, Mom!" Layla loudly protests, lightly slamming the bottom of her knife and fork against the edge of the table.

"Layla, please," Monica sighs, growing more impatient with each moment that passes.

"We have discovered there is a new group rising up," William starts, going ahead and ignoring Monica. As always, he believes he has the authority to speak over others, whether they want him to or not. "They know about us, which is what makes them so different from any other groups that come forward."

"Are the children safe?" Monica's irritation fades as she hears this; instead, she begins to grow worried for the family's safety.

"The sooner we find them, the safer they'll be."

Ryan simply shakes his head, unable to stay silent at this moment. "If we weren't dragged into _this_ , then we wouldn't be in any danger now…!"

"Sweetheart, please don't say that," Monica requests, though her thoughts are the exact same as his.

"Ryan…" The man's patience is starting to grow thin now.

"It's true! Why do we have to be part of this? Why can't we just live normally, and safely?" the boy protests.

Finally having enough, William uncontrollably lashes out at his son. "Stop being so ungrateful for once in your life, you cowardly brat!" He raises his voice like he's never done before.

Monica lowers her head in shame, while Ryan and Layla stare at their father with wide eyes. Even the little girl who usually admires her father is now scared. Ryan falls silent, unable to think of any smart comebacks, as tears sting his small eyes.

"I'm sick of being so unappreciated in this family – I'm sick of the utter disrespect, especially from my own son! Well, today I'm putting my foot down. Ryan, you need to learn some respect, and you're going to learn very soon."

The young boy squeezes his eyes shut, tears beginning to trickle down his cheeks slowly. Already being at breaking point, it seems as though he can't put on a brave face this time.

"I work hard every single day to support all of you, and this is how I'm treated in return? You two kids are beginning compulsory training starting tomorrow morning, end of discussion." William speaks harshly, sending his cold glare to the two children.

"No, you can't do that!" Monica suddenly speaks up, wanting to protect her children. "You're putting them both in serious danger."

"I'm not raising _my_ children to be defenceless cowards, unlike you, Monica," William remarks, hissing his possessive words out through gritted teeth.

The woman is shocked to hear such words. She bites down on her lower lip, fighting back tears in front of her children. "This business is far too much for them. I refuse to let you turn them into mindless killing machines!" With fear and distress in her voice, she swiftly pushes herself up to her feet, holding her arm out to act as a shield for the children.

"Mom, Daddy… Please, stop…" Layla quietly begs, wrapping an arm around her brother to try and comfort him, while he sobs quietly. "Shh… it's okay, Ry…"

William quietly scoffs to himself. "My word is final. Cry all you want; you'll learn it won't get you what you want, son."

Finally snapping completely, Ryan rips himself free of his sister's comforting grip and pushes himself onto his feet – the chair he once sat on topples backwards and crashes to the dining hall floor. And then, he lets out an anger-filled scream through hot tears, staring straight at his father. "I _hate you!_ " Without waiting for any reactions, he spins on his heels and swiftly sprints straight out of the room.

"Ryan, wait!" Monica calls out, trying to get him to stop. But this is to no avail. The young boy doesn't look back.

"Ryan…" Layla quietly sighs, lowering her arm back to her side.

"This is all your fault, you stupid woman." William growls in a low tone, turning to look right back at his wife.

"Don't you _dare_ call me that. And how dare you shout at our son like that!" Monica swallows her pride, making sure to reprimand her husband for shouting at their son first. "Do you really think he understands the severity of this? Of anything? He's seven years old, for crying out loud."

The man takes in a deep breath, steadying his shaking hands. Putting on a fake-sweet tone, he sends his glance to his daughter. "Layla, princess. Go to your room."

"But, Daddy…"

"Go to your room!" He ends up snapping at her, losing his temper again.

"I, I'm sorry…!" Layla quickly stands up, running out of the dining hall without another word.

Monica glares sharply at her husband, unable to believe everything that's just happened. "Now you're shouting at our other child? What on earth has gotten into you? You may act all tough, but you're just a lowly, terrified little boy who can't _bear_ having his precious authority questioned." She speaks in a mocking, patronising tone, ranting right in the man's face unafraid.

William slowly pulls himself up to his feet, his palms clenching into fists. As he stands tall, he towers over his wife who is significantly shorter in comparison, staring down at her with a dark expression. The woman stares back up to him, suddenly feeling _tiny_ and terrified. She breathes shakily, regretting her choice of words. "I wouldn't say that again if I were you, Monica."

She takes in a deep breath, choosing not to cower in fear before the man – to protect her children, she must remain brave. "If you touch me, I'll be out of this house with our children before you can blink," she hisses, in a threatening tone.

"Who said it would be me touching you…?" He lets out a quiet laugh, sending a chill down the woman's spine. "Please. Don't think you'll be getting anywhere with _my_ children."

Monica's eyes grow wide in fear, her breath catching in her throat. She feels utterly powerless against her husband. She's never quite seen this dark, fear-inducing side of the man before. "You… you really are evil…!"

"Funny how you changed your tune once our children started to grow up fast…" William responds, snickering in a contemptuous tone.

"W…what…?" Her face grows pale at such an accusation – it catches her off guard.

"Don't act so shocked. Admit it, dear. You never wanted strings attached, did you? No commitment to me or my business… You only wanted my money," he continues, a devious smirk pulling at his lips.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Monica scoffs, shaking her head. She grits her teeth together in frustration, trying to hide her once dark past. "I love those children more than anything else in the world. Anything! And I will not let you or anyone come between us!"

"Oh, I bet your favourite little Ryan would love to hear stories about how his mother used to act," the man subtly threatens, giving a laugh. "I distinctly remember you saying something about wishing you could go back in time… just so you wouldn't have to go through the hassle of having a second child."

Monica gulps hard, fighting back the tears forming in her eyes. "That was different… that was before I knew just how bad this business could get…" she weakly whispers.

"Your secret will be safe with me, as long as you don't try to come between my children and I," William says, giving a casual shrug, backing away from his wife now. "I suggest you spend one last night with them, while they still have their innocence." Straightening out his jacket, the man turns on his heels and begins to exit the dining hall, leaving Monica all by herself.

She narrows her eyes, staring at the back of her husband as he slowly walks away, victorious. The moment he's gone, the tears begin to fall. The broken, defeated woman lifts her hand up, clamping her palm over her mouth. She takes in a deep breath, before letting go and sobbing quietly.

…

After many long, painful hours, the sun starts to set and night finally falls. After the Anderson boss walked away from his family meal, he spent the rest of his spare hours gathering a team of workers and prepping them for the long night ahead. At around 9:45pm, the group of four men and the boss gather in the main office.

"Now, remember, men…" William decides to run through the plan one more time, just to triple-check they've memorised every last detail. "You must be as careful as possible. We need to use tonight as an opportunity to see exactly who we're against. Remain in the shadows, and watch for any activity from afar."

As Mr Anderson wraps up his explanation, the office door swings open. Eric casually struts into the room, being around ten minutes early. Though he seems to be casual and calm enough, there's a bit of a flushed look on his face.

William looks up to the teenager slightly confused, then down to his watch before speaking. "Eric? I'm surprised you're here… so early."

"W…Well, what can I say?" He stutters for a moment, before regaining confidence. He walks forward, stopping at a colleague's side. Gulping quietly, the teen tries his best to pull his mind from the events that happened only minutes ago.

"Indeed. Well, listen up," the boss orders. He begins to run through the plan for tonight to Eric, repeating the same details as his previous explanations. He finishes talking a couple minutes after the clock strikes ten, indicating it's time to begin.

…

The mafia men leave the mansion together, before splitting up into their pairs and going their own way. They all make sure they're dressed for the task before leaving, each member wearing dark clothes to blend into the shadows. William watches as his men take off before him, only gesturing Eric to follow once they are gone.

Eric takes in a breath, feeling the sharp cold air penetrate his skin once he starts to move. An icy shiver crawls down his spine, and he wraps his arms around himself to try and stay warm. "So. This place is far away?"

"It's supposedly some cabin hidden away within a forest, which is approximately a twenty-minute walk," the man responds, appearing to be unfazed by the cold air surrounding him. He's only wearing a thin jacket and a pair of gloves. Noticing this, Eric can only wonder how his boss does it.

"Got it…" the teen responds, trying to block out the cold. He focuses on his thoughts, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

This is the first time in near enough five months that he's been out scouting like this; their last enemy group was dealt with swiftly. He has no doubt that this new group will fall defeated to the same fate. Even though he has some worries in his mind, he drowns them out with the gentle voice of Alex. Not long before Eric went to meet with the boss, he and the young woman shared an inevitable intimate moment together.

Meanwhile, William is trying to block out every thought he can now. He clenches a palm into a fist, pretty much uncontrollably, keeping his mind focused on the job for tonight. His mind isn't filled with thoughts of regret, however. They're filled with anger, screaming at him, 'how dare they disrespect you like this?'.

The road ahead is a long and hard one. The two must make sure they watch their backs upon entering the forest near the Fletchers' cabin. Eric narrows his eyes a bit, trying to see if they're any closer to a house – however, the darkness makes it rather difficult to tell what is up ahead. Not even the moonlight can guide the two tonight; dark clouds have covered the once bright moon and twinkling stars. Needless to say, this may not have been the best night to carry out such a mission.

A little while later, the two find themselves coming up to a dead end of sorts. William stops in his tracks, noticing a barrier and a barbed wire fence blocking the way. He holds his arm out to the side, making sure Eric doesn't go any further.

"Eh…" the teenager quietly sighs, squinting his eyes to try and see exactly how much it's blocking. There are trees blocking any alternative route on both sides. "What the hell is this supposed to be?"

The boss gives a light shrug, closely examining its height and other features. "…looks manmade, if I'm not mistaken," he says, after a couple moments.

"And you never usually are," Eric adds, sneaking in a compliment. "Ahem. So, that means the Fletchers are near here?"

"It's either them or their goons," William responds. He takes a couple cautious steps towards the barricade, giving a sigh in frustration. "We'll have to return with more men. This won't be budging with just the two of us."

"Ahhh… seriously?" Eric lets out a deep sigh, the mere thought of another long walk in the dark making him feel exhausted.

"Seriously. Come on, let's get…" William abruptly stops speaking, thinking he just heard a branch snapping nearby.

Eric raises a brow, looking to his boss in confusion. He hasn't heard anything else at all. He opens his mouth to question this, but William lets out a demanding 'shh'.

William sends his glance around the area, but of course, with such a restricted view it's almost impossible to tell if someone is around. Still, he remains deadly silent, the only other sounds being the cold wind whistling.

As Eric stands there in confusion, he hesitantly takes a quick look around. He's not one to usually feel fear, but the icy air and dead silence makes him feel a bit on edge. He takes in a sharp breath, steadying his trembling lower body. Although they stand there, alert, for two minutes or so, no other sounds follow.

William slowly releases his breath, deciding to let his guard down. "I thought I heard a branch snapping or something… No, I know I heard it."

"Shit…" Eric mumbles, this explanation only worrying him even more. "You think… someone's watching us?"

"It's possible," the man reluctantly admits. "I know many things about stealth late at night. Just watch your back. Let's move out." With those orders, the two begin to make their way out of the forest, the same way they entered. The hairs on the back of Eric's neck are sticking up, but he can't tell if it's the cold air or the tense atmosphere surrounding the area. Either way, he's glad to get away from such a place. Something tells him that he shouldn't be so confident about a victory right now.

…

After a long night that eventually crumbled into failure, each of the men decide to call it a night. William dismisses his workers, allowing them to do as they please for the rest of the night. Though really, there's not much else the men can do, considering how late it is now. Once Mr Anderson is finished giving out his last orders of the day, he mutters something inaudible to himself before trailing towards his office and locking himself in.

Eric rubs at the back of his neck slightly, wondering why his boss is acting so distant at such a crucial point in time. He gives a light shrug of his shoulders, eventually realising it has nothing to do with him, and so he makes his way to his own room. As he approaches his bedroom door, dragging himself sleepily through the dimly lit hall, he notices a figure up ahead, as if they are waiting for someone.

His sleepiness fades in almost an instant, as he recognises the figure once he gets closer. "Ah… Alex…?" he calls out, his cheeks darkening at the sudden memory of the moment they shared earlier. It was nothing more than a few words of encouragement and a warm embrace, but to Eric, that moment meant the world to him. And now, he can only wonder why she would be here so late. It's at least past midnight, after all.

The female lifts her head up, upon hearing the familiar voice of Eric call her name. She smiles softly, pushing herself up from leaning against the wall. "Hey…"

Eric comes to a stop, a few steps away from the female. The atmosphere between the two begins to feel rather intense once more. He lets out a shaky sigh, pushing himself to talk to her – and not just small talk. "So… Why are you… y'know, here?" Eric tries to show an ounce of confidence in front of the girl he's obviously crushing on. However, his voice ultimately comes out as no more than a quiet, awkward question.

Alex notices Eric's rather charming cuteness, and she stifles an amused giggle. She decides she doesn't want to play hard to get anymore. She's decided that she wants Eric… And she's not going to mess around any longer. Alex is the type of young woman who makes up her mind in an instant, and she's obstinate as all hell. She innocently flutters her eyelashes, getting straight to the point. "I was wondering if I could come in?"

Eric almost chokes. He's stunned into silence for a couple of seconds, wondering if he heard right. He didn't expect Alex to be so straightforward, especially since they only met earlier today. "Y-Yeah, s-sure, of course you can…!" He mentally slaps himself, scolding himself harshly. Play it cool. He doesn't want to be laughed at. He moves past the female, moving towards the door and pushing it open. He gives a slight smile, entering first and allowing Alex to make herself comfortable.

Alex's plan is simple. She'll get the male all relaxed, maybe blabber on about work for a while. Then, she'll make her move. Humming lightly to herself, in a casual manner, she slowly trails herself towards the teenager's bed. Bending over with her back turned, she starts to smooth out the bedsheets delicately with her palms.

As Eric turns around, after flicking the light switch on, he's greeted by the godly sight of Alex being bent over. He tries his hardest not to stare at a certain part of her body, though it's taking an incredible amount of willpower just to remember to breathe.

In a matter of a couple moments, the female is done. She stands up straight, twirling around gracefully on her heels, before plopping herself down onto the edge of the bed. She stretches her arm out a bit, gently patting a space beside her, inviting him to sit down as well. She softly bites down on her lower lip in silence, watching as Eric almost stumbles over his own feet while approaching. ' _Ah, he's perfect… The perfect boy to dominate… Yes, this will be so much fun!_ ' she thinks to herself, before taking in a breath.

Eric sits an acceptable distance away from Alex on the bed, completely losing his previous cocky nature. "So… what did you want to do…?" He curses himself almost immediately, realising how utterly _stupid_ that line is – and how truly blatant it is.

Alex gives a teasing giggle, locking her eyes with his. "Ahah… Is that really all men think about?"

"N-No, I…" He struggles to get the words out.

"…don't worry," the female says, in a soft, reassuring tone. "Ah, well, it's not much. I just wanted to hear about the mission tonight. Boss didn't really say much, ya know?"

"Oh, of course," Eric replies, giving a nod. He takes in a breath to try and regain his composure. If they're only talking, then he has no reason to get so worked up. "Well, I mean, it came down to a whole lot of nothing. There was a barbwire fence surrounding the area, and we could only assume it ended up being the same for the others. So, for now, we need to rethink our strategy. I suppose that's all there is to it right now."

"Mm, I see…" Alex thoughtfully hums, nodding while listening. "It truly is a fascinating situation. Usually, small groups don't go to such great lengths to protect themselves… They're always so amateur-ish, you know? But these guys seem like a big deal."

Eric sighs at this. He knew it would come down to something like that. "I think it's really pissed the boss off," he says, after a short pause. He remembers the way William weakly dismissed his men, as though the failure really got to him. "It's like he expected to take these guys out in one night."

"Huh…" Alex also noticed how distant Mr Anderson appeared to be earlier. "Well, the boss gets sulky a lot. You should be used to that by now."

"Eh… is there a reason for him being like that?" The teenager speaks with a tone of curiosity now, wondering if there's a deeper meaning behind the man's emotions.

Alex can only give a shrug in return. "It's just a rumour, but… Apparently things are real bad between him and his wife. You've seen how James is kinda close with the boss, right? I heard it from him."

"Hmm…" Hearing this seems to trouble Eric quite a bit. His mind focuses on the young Anderson boy, Ryan. It's no wonder that kid is always so cold and never lets his emotions show, unless he's around his mother. It must really be getting to him, Eric concludes.

"Anyway… enough about all that…" Alex suddenly says, shuffling herself closer to Eric. She decides she can't wait any longer. She gently places her hand on top of Eric's, where he has been casually resting it against the edge of the bed. She looks up to him with an expectant expression, with a hint of innocence.

"Alex…?" Eric quietly stutters, getting all flustered again. He didn't expect the female to jump into _this_ again. "L-Look, we only just met and… uh…" As he speaks, he notices the female inching closer and closer towards his face. He awkwardly leans back in a subtle manner, though if he moves any further, he'll be lying on his back.

"Eric… I can't take it anymore, okay…? You should know that I make up my mind really fast. I won't regret this, and neither will you. I promise," Alex whispers in a soft voice.

Although he really has no complaints, he doesn't want Alex to jump into this and end up regretting it later. He convinces himself pretty quickly, however, that if she really wants this… Who is he to reject such a beautiful young woman? He allows himself to give in, slipping his eyes shut and taking in a quick breath to calm his nerves.

No more than a couple seconds later, Alex has taken the lead and locked lips with the male. She immediately receives a feeling of bliss, which makes her want more already. Eric, on the other hand, is at a loss for words. Literally. It feels nice, this being his first kiss and all, but for some reason… He can't feel much of a spark. Perhaps this is normal – he tries to tell himself it's okay. That it'll get better.

Alex, feeling that Eric isn't putting much effort into the kiss in return, slowly pulls away after a few seconds. A look of disappointment spreads across her features. "Eric… What's wrong…? Don't you want me?" she pouts.

This puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on the teenager, who's still trying to figure out all his emotions. He frantically shakes his head, wanting to reassure her. "No, no. Of course, I want you." He mentally adds a 'but' onto that statement. He can't quite wrap his head around this unsatisfactory feeling. Of course, it's clear that his body is telling him he absolutely doesn't want this. But he overrides that irrational feeling, by telling himself he simply can't let down such a gorgeous young woman, who's eager for his entire being.

"So, show me," Alex quietly orders, wanting the male in front of her to prove himself.

Fighting with himself internally for a few more moments, Eric dismisses such ridiculous thoughts, and pushes himself to make Alex happy. He shifts his hand, placing it on top of hers to grasp it close, while looking deeply into her eyes. He tries to clarify his feelings for her. He definitely felt something when they met. But the instant their lips touched… It disappeared. Breathing in, the male tilts his head to the side slightly and attempts to passionately lock lips with her again.

Alex immediately feels overwhelmed with desire once more, and so she begins to trace her free hand up to rest her palm against Eric's cheek. She lightly holds onto him, overcome with a strong feeling of breathlessness and such.

Eric can feel all the effort Alex is putting into this. Even though he's pretty much forcing himself at this point to be as passionate as possible, he still can't feel anything. He feels empty – and this entire situation is somehow wrong. This is only his subconscious telling him such things, however. These thoughts are buried away at the back of his mind. He's choosing to ignore these thoughts, losing himself in a steamy embrace with a member of the opposite sex. After all, this is every teenage male's dream, is it not?

And so, Eric decides in the end, to just have a good time without any worries. After everything he's done, after all the heartless crimes he's gladly participated in… He deserves a break and some affection.

…

As morning comes, Eric finds himself slowly waking up in his bed as always. But this time, he can feel some weight pressing against his chest. Is it his conscience…? He blinks a couple times, before shifting his glance to the side. Ah, of course not. Alex is sleeping peacefully with her head resting against the male's chest.

But that can only mean one thing, right?

Eric tries not to jump up in panic. Surely, he hadn't lost control of himself _that_ much? He hurriedly shifts the blanket off himself, though still being careful to not wake the female. He lets out a deep sigh of relief, seeing that his jeans are still on his legs. Only his chest is bare. He looks to Alex again, a blush staining his cheeks as he realises that her chest is bare, too. It's more of a natural embarrassment thing, rather than a 'she's hot' kind of thing.

Even so, seeing the female sleeping so soundly on his chest… And knowing she's in nothing but her bra and panties… It stirs no kind of special feelings within him. He sighs softly, wondering what on earth is wrong with him. He's always been very sure of his sexuality, so he knows it couldn't possibly be that. Once he starts to think about it so much, it begins to give him a bit of a headache.

"Eric…"

Only Alex's still sleepy, gentle voice snaps him back to reality.

"A-Ah… Morning," the teenager greets, with the best smile he can muster right now.

The female gives a warm smile in return, snuggling up close to Eric once more with a happy little mumble. "You really do know how to treat a woman… I'm impressed…"

Eric can feel himself growing pale and cold. He had been so tired after whatever they did together, that he crashed almost instantly. And of course, now his memory is all fuzzy. He _really_ hopes he didn't go all the way, and only hit the base before that one.

"I'll never be able to use my fingers again," Alex cheekily remarks, snickering quietly as she buries her face against his chest. "I never expected you to use your tongue like that, too…"

Eric resists the urge to dash out of bed right then and there. He has no idea why the thought of giving a woman such pleasure terrifies him so much. As if he's done something incredibly wrong, and as if he can never forgive himself. His subconscious is currently screaming 'I told you so' at him.

Before anything more can be said, the situation is saved by the bell. Or rather, by the clicking sound coming from the two-way radio placed on the bedside table. Eric tries not to sigh too audibly in relief. William's voice is quick to come through the radio. "Eric, you need to get your ass over here _NOW._ If you see Alex, get her to move it over here as well."

Eric gulps, exchanging glances with the female right next to him. He reaches his free arm over to the bedside table, grabbing the two-way radio swiftly to respond. "Got it, I'm on my way." By the serious, panicked tone in the boss's voice, the two can only assume the worst. Worry crosses their own features, and they're both out of bed straight away.

Once the two teenagers have pulled their clothes on, and once Alex has had a chance to straighten out her hair without a brush, they're on their way to meet with their boss. They stay in silence as they leave, all sorts of things crossing their thoughts. Perhaps the boss has managed to find one of the Fletcher members? Or perhaps they dared to make a direct attack? Whatever it is, it seems urgent.

Without waiting for approval, Eric swings open the door to Mr Anderson's office, with Alex timidly following behind. As soon as they enter, William can be seen frantically pacing up and down the room in front of his desk. When he hears the door being swung open, he halts in his tracks, clearly appearing distressed. "Took you long enough. Where the hell were _you?_ " He directs his sharp glare to the female behind Eric.

"Sorry, I, uh…"

While she stumbles over her words, to try and think of an excuse, William just shakes his head. "Forget it. I don't have time for this." He digs a hand into one of his pockets, rummaging around for a short moment, and then pulling out a note of crumpled, worn paper.

Eric looks over his shoulder to Alex for a split second, exchanging glances of confusion.

William stares down at the note, as if he were reading over it for the hundredth time. It looks like he can't make any sense of such a note. He stares down at it for quite some time, slowly scanning his eyes over the contents of such a note. Just as Eric opens his mouth to ask what's going on, William finally speaks. "We need to make a plan, right now…"

"Boss…" Alex attempts to speak in a soothing voice.

"Those fuckers…!" the man hisses, seething with rage.

Eric takes a step forward, knowing he has a better chance than Alex to try and get an answer out of him.

William screws his eyes shut, his grip tightening on the paper, almost ripping it in half from the amount of force and also due to his trembling hands. He opens his eyes, a lost, yet dark and piercing look in his eyes. A fearful one; that of a true leader, a man not to be taken lightly.

"They've kidnapped my daughter."

…


End file.
